TENNIS

TENNIS; Kafelnikov Displeases Crowd by Winning

Published: January 18, 2000

MELBOURNE, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 18—
The defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov, public enemy No. 1 to Australian tennis fans, lay on the court grimacing in pain today on the verge of a first-round knockout.

For all the sparse crowd cared, the second-seeded Kafelnikov could have stayed down and slipped out of town.

But after several minutes of treatment by a trainer for a groin pull at 5-4 in the second set, Kafelnikov rose as if in defiance of those who wished him gone. He then won five straight games and went on to a 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Jens Knippschild of Germany.

The Russian Kafelnikov had riled Australians during the Davis Cup last September by criticizing the Australian teenager Lleyton Hewitt, before and after losing to him, and comparing the court in Brisbane to a potato field.

Today, Kafelnikov joined in the chorus of complaints about the Open's souped-up courts, calling them ''ridiculously fast compared to last year.''

Fourth-seeded Nicolas Kiefer of Germany is one of those baseliners who is likely to encounter problems on these courts. He reached the second round with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Guillermo Canas.

The Croatian Goran Ivanisevic, a first-round loser in his last appearance here two years ago, survived a superb match against No. 13 Cedric Pioline of France, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5, 1-6, 9-7. Ivanisevic served 32 aces, including 13 in the last set, to Pioline's 26.

On Monday night, in three sets without a single rally, Pete Sampras pranced on the hard, hyperfast center court as if he were back on the grass he loves at Wimbledon.

For those who like power tennis, it was as beautiful as it was brutal. For those who prefer finesse, it was utterly boring.

Sampras began his pursuit of a record 13th Grand Slam title with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 victory over the Australian Wayne Arthurs in a match that featured the best and worst of high-speed tennis.

They served, they volleyed, then they served and volleyed again. Except for a few passing shots, and the 25 aces and 11 double faults between them, that was it.

Open officials wanted a faster surface this year to give an advantage to the Australians Patrick Rafter and Mark Philippoussis, so they gave the go-ahead for a paint job that quickened the rubberized Rebound Ace courts to the speed of grass.

Sampras, who said he has never played on such a fast outdoor hardcourt, did not complain.

The surface would have been perfect for the net-charging Rafter, Sampras said, and his absence because of a shoulder injury removes a major threat.